Senior advisor to President Trump, Ivanka Trump briefly took her father’s place at a meeting on Saturday at the G-20 Summit.
Critics seized on a photo that surfaced of Ivanka, showing her surrounded by other world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
President Trump took to Twitter Monday morning to defend his decision to have his daughter sit in for him.
When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
He also followed up by attacking Hillary Clinton’s daughter and what he said would be a double-standard if the Clintons had allowed Chelsea Clinton to sit in for her mother.
If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother,as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
Chelsea Clinton responded an hour later.
Good morning Mr. President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not. https://t.co/4ODjWZUp0c
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) July 10, 2017
It is not unusual for leaders to have someone take their place momentarily at these meetings. German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the president’s decision, saying that it is up to the individual nations who represents them.
“The delegations themselves decide, should the president not be present for a meeting, who will then take over and sit in the chair,” Merkel said at a news conference later. “Ivanka Trump was part and parcel of the American delegation so that is something that other delegations also do. It’s very well known that she works at the White House and is also engaged in certain initiatives.”
A senior Trump administration official also confirmed that Ivanka Trump’s actions were not improper or unusual, according to CNN.